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Waratahs Dean Mumm and Wycliff Palu, along with Northern Suburbs prop Ben Alexander have been elevated to the starting line-up for the Wallabies clash with France in Paris on Saturday.
Palu returns to the No.8 jersey for the first time since injuring the medial ligament in his knee against New Zealand at Brisbane in September. He comes in for Richard Brown, whom he replaced after 45 minutes during last weekend’s 28-14 win over England. Brown, who sustained injuries to his knee and hand during that match, has been omitted from this weekend’s match-day squad. Mumm returns to the blindside flanker’s role he occupied in the opening two matches of the Wallabies’ Spring Tour. His selection comes at the expense of Randwick lock Mark Chisholm, who moves to the bench, with Hugh McMeniman reverting from the side of the scrum into the second row. Alexander, who made such a big impression in his run on debut against Italy two weeks ago, takes over from Waratahs prop Benn Robinson, who has started in all but one of the Wallabies’ 12 Tests to date this year. Qantas Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said the change was designed to spread the work load while encouraging the development of both players. “Benn Robinson has had a big year and we’re mindful of that, while Ben Alexander showed against Italy, and earlier in the year during the Tests against France back in Australia, that he was capable in this company,” said Deans. “Saturday night gives him another opportunity while allowing Benn Robinson to freshen up for the remaining games of the tour.” Deans says a similar philosophy was at play in the change involving Mumm, McMeniman and Chisholm, and also on the bench where Waratah prop Sekope Kepu and David Pocock have been added. Robinson, Brown and Waratah prop Matt Dunning are the three players to be omitted from last weekend’s match day squad. Gorden centre and Wallaby skipper Stirling Mortlock will play his 75th Test in Paris, and in doing so draws level with former Waratah captain Jason Little as the tenth most capped Wallaby in history. The game is the fourth of the Qantas Wallabies Spring Tour following on from the matches against New Zealand at Hong Kong, Italy in Padova and last weekend’s Cook Cup Test against England at London’s Twickenham Stadium. It will be followed by the Wallabies’ 14th and final Test of the year, against Wales at Cardiff on Saturday week, before the tour concludes with a specially arranged midweek game against the Barbarians club at London’s Wembley Stadium on 3 December. That match commemorates the Olympic Gold Medal won by the Wallabies at the 1908 London Games. FRANCE V AUSTRALIA
Saturday, 22 November 2008 (Kick-off 9:00pm CET, 7:00am Sun AEDT)
Stade de France, Paris FRA
Referee: Craig Joubert (RSA)
Touch Judges: Chris White (ENG) & David Changleng (SCO) FRANCE
1. Lionel Faure (Sale Sharks ENG)
2. Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais FRA)
3. Nicolas Mas (Perpignan FRA)
4. Sébastien Chabal (Sale Sharks ENG)
5. Lionel Nallet [c] (Castres FRA)
6. Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse FRA)
7. Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier FRA)
8. Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz Olympique FRA)
9. Sebastien Tillous Borde (Castres FRA)
10. David Skrela (Toulouse FRA)
11. Cedric Heymans (Toulouse FRA)
12. Benoit Baby (Clermont-Auvergne FRA)
13. Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse FRA)
14. Julien Malzieu (Clermont-Auvergne FRA)
15. Maxime Medard (Toulouse FRA)
Reserves
16. Benjamin Kayser (Leicester Tigers ENG)
17. Benoit Lecouls (Toulouse FRA)
18. Romain Millo Chluski (Toulouse FRA)
19. Louis Picamoles (Montpellier FRA)
20. Julien Tomas (Montpellier FRA)
21. Damien Traille (Biarritz Olympique FRA)
22. Alexis Palisson (Brive FRA) AUSTRALIA
1. Ben Alexander (Northern Suburbs, Brumbies)
2. Stephen Moore (Brumbies)
3. Al Baxter (Northern Suburbs, HSBC Waratahs)
4. Hugh McMeniman (Reds)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Force)
6. Dean Mumm (Sydney University, HSBC Waratahs)
7. George Smith (Manly, Brumbies)
8. Wycliff Palu (Manly, HSBC Waratahs)
9. Luke Burgess (Eastern Suburbs, HSBC Waratahs)
10. Matt Giteau (Force)
11. Drew Mitchell (Force)
12. Stirling Mortlock [c] (Gordon, Brumbies)
13. Ryan Cross (Eastern Suburbs, Force)
14. Peter Hynes (Reds)
15. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Northern Suburbs, Brumbies)
Reserves
16. Tatafu Polota-Nau (Parramatta, HSBC Waratahs)
17. Sekope Kepu (Randwick, HSBC Waratahs)
18. Mark Chisholm (Randwick, Brumbies)
19. David Pocock (Force)
20. Sam Cordingley (Reds)
21. Quade Cooper (Reds)
22. Digby Ioane (Reds)
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